Richard Schnap- A Poem

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I have seen him from time to time
In a French Quarter penny arcade
In a Midwestern Greyhound terminal
In a New York City train station

And he always offers the same things
A way to make some easy money
A means to score a quick high
A path to find spiritual enlightenment

But I know his face and his many names
The teacher who preys on trusting children
The dealer who feeds on society’s wounded
The stranger who seems like your only friend

So I turned my back and walked away
Leaving him to search for a weaker victim
Making him refine his conniving method
Forcing him to find someone who’s truly lost